Beware of four red flags employers look for in a resume that can land you in the rejection pile before you have an opportunity to address them.

Healthcare employers incur significant costs when hiring staff, whether they’re filling a new position or replacing a former employee. According to the Institute for Research on Labor and Employment, the average cost for non-managerial workers is about $4,000. That average increases to $7,000 for managerial employees—making it easy to see why hospitals, clinics, and practices are particularly selective when screening candidates for medical office manager positions.

The first step in that screening process is a review of your resume. The professional in charge of hiring may spend only a few minutes scanning its contents before moving on to the next resume. If the employer finds any of these red flags, your resume may end up in the discard pile before you have a chance to address them.

1. Lack of experience

While you might become the best medical office manager in the clinic’s history if given a first-time chance, it’s easier for the hiring manager to move on to another candidate with more experience. The hiring manager probably has plenty to choose from so there’s little reason to take a chance on someone who has just earned a health administration degree.

Fortunately, an outstanding cover letter could be the key you need to get through the door. Make sure your cover letter does more than regurgitate the information on your resume. It should explain—in vivid, compelling detail—why you want this particular job and why you believe you can do it successfully. Make sure to describe why you're the best fit for the job.

2. Frequent job changes

Think about the average $7,000 that a hospital must spend to hire and train a medical office manager. That’s money wasted if their new employee cuts and runs. Should the hiring manager notice you’ve made frequent job changes in the past, it’s going to raise yet another red flag. The employer will wonder if you have unrealistic expectations, don’t work well with others, or have other reasons for job-hopping. The manager may also assume that you’re unlikely to stay in any new position very long.

Fortunately, short stays don’t always mean an inability to commit. If the past positions on your resume include internships, contract work or temping engagements, just make sure you indicate them accordingly. For example, if your bachelor or master’s education program included several short administration internships, you can make a note of this next to the job titles.

3. Gaps in employment

According to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average employee today stays with a job for 4.4 years. Making a career change or leaving one clinic for a more challenging position at another is not a problem. However, your resume will raise a red flag if the hiring manager notices a significant gap between jobs. Why did you leave without securing your next opportunity? Did the employer fire you? Did you purposely omit another job from your resume? If so, what are you hiding?

Luckily, you can use your cover letter to explain about gaps before they have a chance to become an issue. As you explain your interest in this particular healthcare organization, mention what caused the gap or how you used that time to further your career. For example, if you left your last employer to care for a sick family member or travel for a volunteer opportunity, talk about it.

4. Current long-term unemployment

In an economy where more than 4 million people are dealing with long-term unemployment, it seems tremendously unfair that some employers continue to view out-of-work applicants unfavorably. This unfortunate situation raises a red flag if the hiring manager wonders whether there’s a good reason why another clinic, practice, or hospital has not already hired you.

The good news is that any period of unemployment does not need to destroy your future as a medical office manager—provided you’ve spent your time wisely and not watching endless hours of daytime television. Make sure your cover letter and resume mention certification programs, continuing education courses, and volunteer work completed during your time away.